Hello St. Gabriel Families,

Check out the following headlines and links to stay updated on everything happening at St. Gabriel Parish School.

The headlines that are highlighted are NEW or UPDATED for this Gazette.

As you scroll towards the bottom of the Gazette, there are various messages/events/needs from our parish and school committees like the HSA (Home and School Association), ATHLETICS, ADULT & YOUTH MINISTRY, etc. Please continue to scroll down to the end of this email to see all that is happening at our vibrant school and parish!

"TAKE ACTION NOW OR NEW" ARTICLES & LINKS

Happy Thanksgiving:

Once again, the Season of Thanksgiving is upon us. Tomorrow, we will gather around the dinner table and enjoy an amazing Thanksgiving feast. Families will pause from the chaos of their daily lives and spend a day enjoying the gift of each other’s love and presence. Before the carving of the turkey or watching the opening kickoff of an exciting football game, let us all pause to offer our Heavenly Father a prayer of thanksgiving symbolizing our eternal gratitude for His unconditional love and thanksgiving.

INFORMATIONAL ARTICLES & LINKS

Please scroll all the way to the bottom!

WRISA Accreditation:

A few weeks ago we had a team of nine educators (consisting of 2 Associate Superintendents, 3 Principals, and 4 teachers from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee) come into our school to evaluate St. Gabriel on the Catholic School Standards and Benchmarks which are established by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA).  The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS) serves as both a self-assessment and a tool for continuous improvement in the four domains of Mission and Catholic Identity, Governance and Leadership, Academic Excellence, and Operational Vitality.

While it will not be official until June when the Wisconsin Religious & Independent Schools Accreditation (WRISA) board votes on it, I am happy to share with everyone that we are being recommended for full accreditation (no provisions necessary).  We met or exceeded expectations for all 73 benchmarks that we were evaluated on.   The team was impressed with our school and commended us for integrating our Catholic culture and faith prominently throughout our curriculum and our building. They were also impressed by the curriculum/programs we have in place, the respect and politeness of our students, and the cleanliness of our building.  A big thank you to all our teachers, staff members, and committee chairs who were interviewed by the team and worked diligently to collect artifacts to prove our compliance with all the benchmarks during the past year.  Your hard work and dedication to St. Gabriel is evident and very much appreciated.  We have a lot to be proud of at St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School and it showed last week!!

For more information on the benchmarks and our scoresheet please see the links below.

NSBECS Benchmarks

2024 St. Gabriel Accreditation Scoresheet

Winter Weather is Approaching:

We all knew that the time would eventually come when we would have to talk about the cold temperatures and snow. That time is upon us. The snow is beautiful but it comes with some additional safety precautions. Here are a few reminders about our winter weather protocols.

1. Please make sure that your children come prepared to go outside for recess each day during winter. They will need boots, hats, and mittens. If the temperature, including the wind chill, is below 10 degrees, recess will be indoors.
2. The sidewalks may be slippery! During drop-off and pick-up times, please remind your child(ren) to be extra careful getting into and out of your car. Also, please do not allow your children to walk behind the cars. We have had “fender benders” in the line and do not want anyone getting hurt.
3. Please remind your children that playing and building in the snow at school is ok, however, they cannot throw snow. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, snowball fights will need to be saved for home.
4. If we need to close school due to inclement weather, a notification will be sent to parents via email and text. The notification will also be posted on our website and Facebook page. In addition, we will report our school closing on TMJ 4, FOX 6, and WISN 12.

Please see the attached letter from the area schools/districts for more information.

School Closing Information

After-School Care Learning Program:

St. Gabriel School’s After School Program is for students in all-day K4 through 8th grades. The program runs from 3:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day and costs $12.00 a day. This program is on a first-come, first-served basis. The maximum number of students for the program is 30 students.

Students must be picked up promptly by 5:30 p.m. A $5 late fee will be charged for late pick-ups.

Due to staffing requirements, we may not be able to accommodate last-minute attendance requests. If space is available, a fee of $5 will be charged for same-day additions to the After School Care list. Since adequate staffing is arranged in advance, same-day cancellations to the program are non-refundable.

Click the link below for the January ASLP sign-up.

January ASLP

Playground/Lunchroom Volunteer Program:

Please consider helping us out on a day-to-day basis. All available opportunities are listed in iVolunteer. Please see the link below for more details.

Day-to-Day Lunchroom/Playground Volunteer Sign-Up

Dress Code:  (No changes have been made)

2024-2025 Dress Code Policy

Our Lands End school account has been updated to reflect this year’s dress code. 

Our school number is 900129099.

Lands End School Account Info

Lands End Website

$crip Certificates:

We encourage parishioners & families to use our Scrip program for all of your Christmas gift-giving. Our last organizational order will be placed at 9 a.m. on December 16, with cards available for pick-up from December 19-22.

Scrip tuition credits have been issued on Oct. 1 and Nov. 1 totaling over $1,650 to the 28 participating families. This fundraiser is very easy and we hope that all of our families will participate by using gift cards for their Christmas purchases and Christmas gifts. 

Please see Mrs. Schuh in the school office for more information about the Scrip program and how to turn gift card purchases into tuition credits.

$crip is available for purchase after the weekend Masses, in the school office from 9:00 a.m. - 2 p.m., or online.



Interested in learning more about buying online certificates using the RAISE RIGHT app? Please contact Finance Manager, Laura Rogacki, in the Parish Business Office at (262)628-1141 or lrogacki@stgabrielhubertus.org for the program code. 

Already have an account with RaiseRight? Online orders will be filled on Mondays and available to pick up after the weekend Masses. For any questions about the $crip program, please email Laura Rogacki.

There are also additional opportunities to volunteer to assist with the selling of $crip after weekend Masses or to assist with order entry of $crip on Monday mornings in the office from 9 a.m. -11:00 am. Please visit iVolunteer to sign up or contact Linda Schuh in the school office at (262) 628-1711.

DID YOU KNOW...

ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE SCRIP POLICIES:

In order to qualify as a fundraiser under IRS rules and to avoid the possible incurring of unrelated business income tax liability for the parish/school, uncompensated volunteer hours must make up at least 85% of the total number of hours it takes to run the Scrip program. However, the parish/school is ultimately responsible for the program. Scrip volunteers are accountable to the parish/school staff employees charged with oversight responsibilities. Paid parish employees may perform some of the tasks, but their involvement should not exceed 15% of the total activities involved in the operation of the Scrip program. It is advisable to have logs or diaries maintained by volunteers and paid staff to track the time spent on the scrip program.

Box Tops:

Last year from July 2023 to June 2024, we raised $360.30 just by scanning shopping receipts with Box Top products.

From July 1, 2024 - present we have raised $136.10 from the Box Tops program. Box Tops are worth $.10 each and they add up fast! Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need - equipment, supplies, or experiences the kids love! Did you know you can now connect your Walmart account for even easier fundraising? You can earn cash for your school without scanning receipts! See the app for more details.

iVolunteer Opportunites to Make a Difference at St. Gabriel:

Click the link below to view the current parish and school volunteer opportunities:

• Help during our annual Open House and Pancake Breakfast on January 26.
• Middle School Dance Chaperones
• Become a St. Gabriel Wrap-A-Thon Elf
• Help in the library on Wednesdays (the 2025 schedule is available here)
• Help on the playground or lunchroom
• Help on Mondays with scrip orders/counting weekend sales

https://stgabrielhubertus.ivolunteer.com/

NOTE - Adults who work exclusively with other adults do not need to undergo safeguarding measures. However, if a minor is involved at any point, safeguarding protocols as outlined by the Archdiocese must be followed. All volunteers who volunteer during school hours are required to be certified in the Archdiocese Safe Guarding All of God's Family Class. You can visit this webpage for more details.

Per the update to the handbook regarding Volunteers, pg 12

VOLUNTEERS (4140) Volunteer service is a core value of a Catholic parish and school community and should be both encouraged and publicly acknowledged. The administration at St. Gabriel parish and school strongly believes that parental involvement and participation in school activities is a vital way to have a direct positive impact on your child’s school experience. Volunteers enable our school to run more smoothly, operate within our annual budget, and offer more family-friendly events. So that St. Gabriel can achieve our goals, we ask that each family volunteer at least 10-15 hours during the school year. Gratitude and appreciation for your volunteerism cannot be given with something of value-in-kind for your service. By definition, a volunteer is someone who gives services without any expressed or implied promise of remuneration. 

We encourage every committee who has volunteer opportunities to email Nikki Packee their needs to this email nikki.packee@stgabrielhubertus.org. Please reach out, should you have questions, or visit this URL to volunteer!!! #manyhandsmakeworklight

Articles and updates for the school Gazette, weekly Parish Bulletin, website, or social media may continue to be sent to the bulletineditor@stgabrielhubertus.org email address.

On the Calendar...

11/28-11/29 -Thanksgiving Break

12/3 - Spirit Groups Meet - Students should wear their Spirit shirts

12/5 - Report cards go home

12/6 - HSA Middle School Dance - 7 p.m. (see below or click here)

12/9 - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - 8:30 a.m. All School Mass 

12/9 - Middle School Forensics Meeting - 3:15 p.m. (see below)

12/14-15 - HSA Wrap-A-Thon - (see below or click here)

12/19 - Christmas Concert - 6:30 p.m.

12/23-1/1 - Christmas Break

1/17 - End of Trimester

1/20 - Inservice Day - No School

1/26 - Open House & Pancake Breakfast plus 2025-2026 School Registration Begins - Volunteers NEEDED

1/27-1/31 - Catholic Schools Week

2/7 - Inservice Day - No School

Peace and Blessings,

Kim Lestina

Principal

St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School

We nurture academic excellence while we

Proclaim the Word, Form Disciples, Live a Sacramental Life

PLEASE KEEP SCROLLING

A lot is happening at the School and Parish this week!!

Fundraising & Development by Connie Helm

Year-End Giving:

As we approach the end of the year, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support of St. Gabriel School. Your generosity has a lasting impact on our students and allows us to provide a faith-centered education that shapes future leaders.

As we reflect on the blessings of 2024, we invite you to consider making a year-end gift to help us finish the year strong and start the New Year with renewed hope and purpose. Your donation directly supports our school’s mission to nurture both the academic and spiritual growth of our students, ensuring that we continue to provide a transformative educational experience for all.

In addition to supporting our school, your year-end gift may also provide tax benefits. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, donations to St. Gabriel School are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. A gift made before December 31st may reduce your taxable income for 2024, making it an ideal time to contribute. Please contact Connie Helm, Director of Development at chelm@stgabrielhubertus.org if you have questions or would like to donate to the school.

Thank you for being a vital part of our school community. Your faithfulness and support are deeply appreciated. May God bless you and your family abundantly in the coming year!

2025 AUCTION NEWS - Save the Date: March 1, 2025

IN THE CLASSROOMS

8th grader visit Kenya:

Two weeks ago, the students headed to Kenya to meet Itotia Karanja, a friend of our music teacher, Mr. DeMers. They were able to personally ask Mr. Karanja about the needs in his community in Nairobi. Mr. Karanja has a passion for soccer (this is how he met Mr. DeMers) and realized the positive role the sport plays in his community. He told our students about daily life for the children and families. It was a beautiful and moving experience for all who were in the room participating. 

Mrs. Erdmann, Mr. DeMers, and the 8th graders have begun to brainstorm ways to help Mr. Karanja's community for their annual service project.

These are some pictures Mr. DeMers shared of his time with Mr. Karanja in Africa. Thank you, Mr. DeMers, for sharing these with our school community.

Building Roller Coasters in 4th Grade

The 4th-grade students designed and built a marble roller coaster to show different forms of energy. One challenge was keeping the marble on its track! Students problem-solved to make sure their marble did not move too fast or too slow. Science, creativity, and fun all rolled into one exciting project!

4K Thanksgiving Pow Wow

Our 4K families gathered for a heartwarming tradition at St. Gabriel Catholic Parish School- The Thanksgiving Pow Wow celebration!

Our young scholars sang songs, shared what they have learned about the pilgrims and native American Indians, and explored the story of the very first Thanksgiving. It was a joyful time of learning and gratitude shared with family and special friends.

Moments like these remind us of the many blessings in our school community. Wishing everyone a season filled with thankfulness!

Reading Round Robin:

Our K4 & K5 students had a blast during last week’s Reading Round-Robin! Parents joined in the fun, sharing favorite stories and bringing them to life. It was a joyful time filled with fun and learning. Thank you to everyone who made this event so special!

5th Grade Native American Projects:

Our 5th-graders wrapped up their Native American Unit with incredible achievements last Friday!

They researched tribes of their choice, exploring geography, customs, and ways of life.

Their creativity shone through in detailed dioramas showcasing tools, food, and environments.

Thank you to those who came out to hear their presentations and celebrate their hard work!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Hawks Nest!

PARISH NEWS

Visit this link every Tuesday to view the Calendar Raffle winners.

Thanks for reading to the end!

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